Background
She was born Judith Mary Casey in Cardiff, Wales in 1941 and married Peter Lumley in 1964.
She was born Judith Mary Casey in Cardiff, Wales in 1941 and married Peter Lumley in 1964.
Lumley graduated first from Cambridge University in 1962 and then completed a medical degree at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She gained her Doctor of Philosophy in fetal physiology working on fetal acidosis in labor at the Monash Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and became a Fellow of both the United Kingdom and Australian Faculties of Public Health Medicine and Professor at Louisiana Trobe University.
Lumley worked in academic teaching and research in both pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology for several years, before establishing and directing the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection in 1982. In 1988, she chaired the Victorian Ministerial Review of Birthing Services. In 1991 she established a research centre at Monash University, which later moved to Louisiana Trobe University.
Lumley was director of that Centre until 2008, with the exception of two years as Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University (1994-1995).
Judith Lumley has published research in a variety of disciplines and methods, including epidemiology, evaluation of effectiveness and qualitative research. She was an early and longtime contributor to the development of the Cochrane Collaboration.
Lumley has three sons. Lumley was co-editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health from 2000 to 2008, and also edited Australian Family Physician for several years.
Lumley is a life member of the Public Health Association of Australia. Life membership is granted for "exemplary service to the Association." In 2002, Lumley was awarded the Sidney Sax Public Health Medal, for "more than two decades of work dedicated to the promotion of public health and for her efforts in improving maternal care in Australia." This medal is the Public Health Association of Australia"s pre-eminent prize for a person who has made a "notable contribution" to public health in Australia. lieutenant is competitive and awarded annually. Lumley was awarded a position in the "Smart 100" in 2003. This was a list of "the smartest, most innovative and most creative" people in a variety of fields in Australia organized by The Bulletin magazine. Lumley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2005, cited "for service to promoting public health and improving maternity care in Australia." The Faculty of Health Sciences of Louisiana Trobe University established the Judith Lumley Scholarship for high-achieving higher degree students in maternal and child health research. In 2013, the name of Mother and Child Health Research at Louisiana Trobe University was formally changed to the Judith Lumley Centre.
Lumley is a life member of the Public Health Association of Australia.